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Israel's defense cabinet has given its endorsement to the formalization of 19 new settlements in the disputed West Bank, marking a sustained campaign for community development.

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the measure alongside Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the decision was about blocking the formation of a Palestinian state.

It is important to note that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered unlawful.

The announcement has elicited criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "relentless" growth of communities fuels frictions, limits Palestinians' access to land, and threatens the feasibility of a independent Palestinian state.

Increased Unrest and Diplomatic Repercussions

Violence in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the hostilities in Gaza began in October 2023, further heightening concerns that the growth of communities could deepen the Israeli presence and damage the possibility for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states refers to the formation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its seat of government, broadly along the lines that were in place prior to the 1967 Six-Day Middle East war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the current Israeli government has ramped up the authorization of fresh communities and initiated the process of legalization for unauthorised outposts, recognising them as "extensions" of established settlements.

Sustained Expansion

The most recent approval brings the cumulative figure of communities recognized over the last three years to 69, according to the Finance Minister.

These decisions come only a few days after the United Nations stated that construction in settlements had reached its most intense pace since the year 2017.

The most recent group of authorizations includes the rebuilding of two communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were evacuated almost in 2005.

Previously, the Israeli government approved 22 additional communities in the territories - described as the largest wave of approvals in many years.

Furthermore, the Israeli government sanctioned plans in August to build in excess of 3,000 homes in the controversial E1 project between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a project that had been frozen for many years amid intense global objection.

On that occasion, the Finance Minister said it would "put to rest the notion of a Palestinian state."

Population Facts and Global Response

Roughly 700,000 Israeli settlers reside in around one hundred and sixty communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians envision for a prospective sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has provoked Arab states who have consistently argued it erodes prospects for a two-state solution.

It has also raised fears about the potential annexing of the occupied West Bank.

Former US President Donald Trump had once cautioned Israel about such a move, stating to TIME magazine that Israel would forfeit its backing from the US if it occurred.

In a diplomatic shift, the UK - joined by other countries including Australia and Canada - recognised a Palestinian state, a major although largely symbolic adjustment in official stance.

Israel was against this step, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a sovereign Palestine "is off the table."